Cargo shipments drop at Port of Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES 
Import and export shipments at the Port of Los Angeles dropped slightly last year compared to 2011.

Longshoremen last year handled about 6.14 million loaded 20-foot container equivalents, a measurement used worldwide and known as TEU's by the maritime industry.

The port handled 6.18 million loaded containers for import and export the previous year.

A Port of Los Angeles news release says imports were up about 25,000 containers, while exports fell about 66,000 containers.

The Long Beach Press-Telegram (
http://bit.ly/WIEFGk
) notes the port reported a 1.7 percent cargo volume rise last year compared to 2011, allowing the port to process more than eight million containers.

But that increase is due to more empty containers handled at the port.

Cargo figures for the neighboring Port of Long Beach haven't been released.